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---
aliases:
- Ben Nelson
category: "Business & Finance"
tags:
- Person
- BenNelson
- MinervaProject
- Minerva
- Snapfish
- HewlettPackard
- EdTech
- FormD
- Wharton
- JeffreyEpstein
summary: "Founder and chief executive of Minerva Project and former president of Snapfish, whose online photo service Hewlett-Packard bought in 2005."
location: "San Francisco, California"
created: 2026-10-09
updated: 2026-10-09
relations:
- type: founded
with: "[[Minerva Project]]"
role: "founder"
start: 2011
fn: 21
- type: head_of
with: "[[Minerva Project]]"
role: "chief executive officer"
start: 2012-03
fn: 1
- type: director_of
with: "[[Minerva Project]]"
role: "director; executive officer and director on Form D filings from 2012 to 2022"
start: 2012-03
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Snapfish]]"
role: "chief executive from 2005 to 2010, per Minerva biography; president at the time of the 2005 sale, per Computerworld"
start: 2005
end: 2010
fn: 4
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Hewlett-Packard]]"
role: "vice president and general manager, Snapfish, Digital Photography and Entertainment"
start: 2005-12
fn: 7
- type: director_of
with: "[[Minerva University]]"
role: "founder and director, per Form 990 officer lists for fiscal years ending June 2020 to June 2024"
start: 2020
end: 2024
fn: 14
---
Ben Nelson is the founder and chief executive of [[Minerva Project]], the for-profit company that built [[Minerva University]], and he was president of [[Snapfish]], the online photo service that [[Hewlett-Packard]] agreed to buy in March 2005.[^1][^2]
Not to be confused with Ben Nelson, the former Democratic governor of [[Nebraska]] who served from 1991 to 1999 and was elected to the [[United States Senate]] in November 2000.[^3]
### Snapfish
Minerva's staff biography of Nelson, captured in 2016, states that he spent more than ten years at Snapfish and that he served as chief executive from 2005 through 2010. The biography states that he began that tenure by "leading the company's sale to Hewlett Packard for $300 million."[^4]
On March 22, 2005 [[Computerworld]] reported that Hewlett-Packard had agreed to buy the online photo sharing and printing service. The article identifies Nelson as "Snapfish President Ben Nelson will join HP and lead the new division, HP said." It adds: "Terms of the deal were undisclosed."[^2]
Hewlett-Packard's quarterly report for the period ended July 31, 2005 says that in the first nine months of fiscal 2005 HP acquired two companies and increased its ownership in a consolidated subsidiary, and that "the aggregate purchase price for these transactions was approximately $339 million, which includes direct transaction costs." The filing states that the largest of the transactions was "the acquisition of SAC, LLC, doing business as "Snapfish."" The report for the period ended April 30, 2005 gave the aggregate for the first six months as approximately $332 million.[^5][^6]
In a release dated December 13, 2005, announcing HP's agreement to acquire the European online photo service [[PIXACO]], Nelson is identified as vice president and general manager of Snapfish, Digital Photography and Entertainment, at HP.[^7]
### Minerva Project
Minerva Project, Inc. is incorporated in [[Delaware]]. Nelson is listed on each of its five Form D notices as an executive officer and as a director. The first, filed April 6, 2012, gives March 26, 2012 as the date of first sale, an offering of $25,000,000, and $16,666,667 sold. It lists [[Kevin Harvey]] as a director beside Nelson.[^1]
The notice filed November 14, 2014 gives October 14, 2014 as the first sale, an offering of $78,600,000 and $45,333,330 sold. It adds [[Bangxin Zhang]] as a director.[^8] The notice filed December 5, 2017 gives November 21, 2017 as the first sale, an offering of $75,949,507 and $13,000,104 sold. It adds [[Philip Lader]] and [[Gwynne Shotwell]] as directors.[^9] The notice filed July 12, 2019 gives June 28, 2019 as the first sale, an offering of $7,671,644, all of it sold. It lists [[Rong Luo]], [[Yiming Zhang]] and [[Wendy Kopp]] as directors.[^10] The notice filed September 2, 2022 gives August 18, 2022 as the first sale, an offering of $16,240,000 and $3,065,519 sold. It lists [[Alex Peng]] as a director.[^11]
On October 15, 2014 Minerva announced the first of two closes of a Series B round of $70 million, led by [[TAL Education Group]], [[ZhenFund]] and [[Yongjin Group]], with [[Benchmark Capital]] returning. In the release Nelson, then identified as founder, chairman and chief executive, said: "Bringing together partners for this round of funding that include one of the most respected, top quality, and innovative education companies with TAL and the most forward thinking technology investors with Benchmark, ZhenFund and Yongjin, is a powerful combination committing to Minerva's next stage of development."[^12] The release states: "A representative from TAL will sit on the Minerva Project's Board, joining Nelson and Kevin Harvey, general partner at Benchmark Capital." It says that Nelson would appoint two further board members at a later date.[^12]
In July 2019 Minerva announced a $57 million Series C led by [[ByteDance]]. In reporting on the round, [[EdSurge]] quoted Nelson: "There is a greater appreciation of the potential of education in Asia." The report states that the for-profit company had funded the nonprofit Minerva Schools at KGI to that point, that it would provide no additional funds to them, and that the schools were looking to raise $50 million separately.[^13]
### Minerva University
The Form 990 filings of Minerva University ([[ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer]], EIN 46-2589747) list Nelson among its officers for the fiscal years ending June 2020 through June 2024, with the title "Founder & Director" in three filings and "Founder/director" in two. Each entry shows $0 compensation.[^14]
Minerva's trustees page, captured on October 1, 2023, lists Nelson as "Founder and Board Member."[^15]
[[Minerva Schools at KGI]], the program that began under an arrangement with [[Keck Graduate Institute]] in 2013, became Minerva University in 2021. The Keck Graduate Institute announced on August 2, 2021 that Minerva University, formerly the Minerva Schools at KGI, had gained accreditation.[^16] The accreditation page of Minerva University states that the [[Western Association of Schools and Colleges]] granted it initial accreditation in June 2021 as a freestanding, independent institution.[^17]
### Unit 8200 admissions partnership
A page on Minerva's admissions site, captured on September 21, 2020, is headed "Partner: IDF 8200." It states that "IDF unit 8200 alumni have the mature perspective and technological experience to both benefit from and contribute to Minerva's diverse undergraduate experience."[^18] The page is published under the company's name and carries no statement attributed to Nelson.
### Jeffrey Epstein
Nelson's name appears in the scheduling records of [[Jeffrey Epstein]]. The schedule for Friday, February 22, 2013 lists "12:00pm Lunch w/Professor Kosslyn, Ben Nelson and Senator Bob Kerrey."[^19] The previous day [[Stephen Kosslyn]] had written to Epstein's scheduler: "Ben wants to bring Senator Bob Kerrey with him. Would that be OK with JEE?"[^20] An undated company overview in the Epstein files states that "Minerva was founded by CEO Ben Nelson in 2011 and received a $25 million seed".[^21] The rest of the correspondence between Epstein and Minerva is set out on the Minerva Project page.
### Education and early career
The Minerva biography states that Nelson received a B.S. in economics from the [[Wharton School]] of the [[University of Pennsylvania]], where he later chaired the [[Student Committee on Undergraduate Education]], which the biography describes as "the oldest and only non-elected student government body at the University of Pennsylvania."[^4]
The [[Daily Pennsylvanian]] reported on January 23, 1995 that "Wharton sophomore Ben Nelson" was a member-at-large of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education steering committee.[^22] On January 22, 1997 the paper reported that "outgoing chairman and Wharton senior Ben Nelson said he is pleased to step down from his post and let Silverman take over."[^23]
Before joining Snapfish, the Minerva biography states, Nelson was president and chief executive of Community Ventures, "a network of locally branded portals for American communities."[^4]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Form D, Minerva Project, Inc., filed April 6, 2012, accession 0001546672-12-000001, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, EDGAR. Lists Ben Nelson as executive officer and director, signed by him. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1546672/000154667212000001/primary_doc.xml
[^2]: Computerworld, "HP reels in Snapfish," March 22, 2005. https://www.computerworld.com/article/1459387/hp-reels-in-snapfish.html
[^3]: National Governors Association, "Ben Nelson," former governor profile, which gives service as governor of Nebraska from January 9, 1991 to January 7, 1999 and states that he was elected to the United States Senate in November 2000. https://www.nga.org/governor/e-benjamin-nelson/
[^4]: Minerva Schools, "Ben Nelson, Founder, Chairman and CEO," staff biography, captured 2016. https://www.minerva.kgi.edu/people/ben-nelson/
[^5]: Hewlett-Packard Company, Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended July 31, 2005, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, EDGAR, Note on acquisitions in the first nine months of fiscal 2005. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000047217/000104746905022690/a2160914z10-q.htm
[^6]: Hewlett-Packard Company, Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended April 30, 2005, filed June 8, 2005, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, EDGAR, Note 4, Acquisitions. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000047217/000104746905016805/a2155974z10-q.htm
[^7]: Hewlett-Packard Company, release "HP to Acquire European Online Photo Service PIXACO," December 13, 2005, via Webwire. https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=6832
[^8]: Form D, Minerva Project, Inc., filed November 14, 2014, accession 0001546672-14-000002, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, EDGAR. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1546672/000154667214000002/primary_doc.xml
[^9]: Form D, Minerva Project, Inc., filed December 5, 2017, accession 0001546672-17-000001, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, EDGAR. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1546672/000154667217000001/primary_doc.xml
[^10]: Form D, Minerva Project, Inc., filed July 12, 2019, accession 0001546672-19-000001, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, EDGAR. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1546672/000154667219000001/primary_doc.xml
[^11]: Form D, Minerva Project, Inc., filed September 2, 2022, accession 0001546672-22-000001, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, EDGAR. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1546672/000154667222000001/primary_doc.xml
[^12]: Minerva Project, "Minerva Project Announces $70 Million in Additional Funding," October 15, 2014. https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.minervaproject.com/press-releases/Minerva_Announces_70M_Additional_Funding.pdf
[^13]: EdSurge, "Minerva Project Raises $57M to Support Its Tech Platform and Spin Off Its School," July 11, 2019. https://edsurge.com/news/2019-07-11-minerva-project-raises-57m-to-support-its-tech-platform-and-spin-off-its-school
[^14]: Minerva University, Form 990 officer lists for fiscal years ending June 2020 through June 2024, as reproduced by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 46-2589747. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/462589747
[^15]: Minerva University, "Board of Trustees," page captured October 1, 2023. https://www.minerva.edu/board-of-trustees/
[^16]: Keck Graduate Institute, "Minerva University, Formerly the Minerva Schools at KGI, Gains Accreditation," August 2, 2021. https://www.kgi.edu/news/2021/minerva-university-formerly-the-minerva-schools-at-kgi-gains-accreditation.html
[^17]: Minerva University, "Accreditation at Minerva University," accreditation milestones page. https://www.minerva.edu/accreditation/
[^18]: Minerva Schools at KGI, "Partner: IDF 8200," page captured September 21, 2020. https://www.minerva.kgi.edu/partners/partner-idf-8200/
[^19]: Epstein schedule emails for Friday, February 22, 2013, EFTA00395264, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00395264.pdf
[^20]: Stephen M. Kosslyn email to Jeffrey Epstein's scheduler, "Re: complication," February 21, 2013, EFTA02147246, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 10. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA02147246.pdf
[^21]: The Minerva Project, "An Overview," undated, EFTA01144731, U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, Data Set 9. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01144731.pdf
[^22]: Daily Pennsylvanian, article dated January 23, 1995, on the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education steering committee. https://www.thedp.com/article/1995/01/scue_elects_new_board
[^23]: Daily Pennsylvanian, article dated January 22, 1997, on the change of Student Committee on Undergraduate Education chairman (byline Stephanie Cooperman). https://www.thedp.com/article/1997/01/scue_elects_new_chairperson_board

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@ -22,38 +22,50 @@ relations:
- type: relative_of
with: "[[John Paul Nichols]]"
role: "father"
fn: 9
fn: 13
created: 2025-08-05
updated: 2026-10-09
---
John Philip Nichols, a non-Indian, was the tribal administrator of the [[Cabazon Indian Reservation|Cabazon Band of Mission Indians]] at Indio, California, under Tribal Chairman [[Arthur Welmas]], and managed the tribe's business affairs; in the early 1980s the only building on the reservation was a casino.[^1]
Nichols told Los Angeles Magazine in September 1983 that a friend referred the tribe to the baseball manager [[Leo Durocher]] for help setting up the cardroom, that Durocher "brought in a guy named Rocco Zangari," and that the tribe eventually fired him.[^2] The California Attorney General's office paper states that Nichols hired [[Rocco Zangari]], a Southern California organized crime figure, to operate the cardroom, and that Zangari and Nichols accused each other of financial wrongdoing.[^3] The 1988 Press-Enterprise reports that Nichols (the article does not specify which) said he had admitted a mistake in hiring Zangari as the first manager.[^4]
Nichols told [[Los Angeles Magazine]] in September 1983 that a friend referred the tribe to the baseball manager [[Leo Durocher]] for help setting up the cardroom, that Durocher "brought in a guy named Rocco Zangari," and that the tribe eventually fired him.[^2] He told the magazine that on the night the [[Cabazon Indian Casino]] opened "the city police came out in force," that "They had riot guns, helmets," and that they arrested 118 people.[^2] The California Attorney General's office paper states that Nichols hired [[Rocco Zangari]], a Southern California organized crime figure, to operate the cardroom, and that Zangari and Nichols accused each other of financial wrongdoing.[^3]
### The Wackenhut Joint Venture
In April 1981 the [[Wackenhut Corporation]] entered into a joint venture with the Cabazon Security Corporation, signed by [[Robert Frye]] for Wackenhut and Welmas for the tribe's company; its stated primary purpose was to "qualify for, bid on, and obtain government guard service contracts." Early on Nichols wanted the joint venture to sell night-vision equipment, and it pursued sales to representatives of Guatemala and Honduras; as far as the [[Department of Justice|Justice Department]]'s special counsel could tell, no sales were made. The venture also pursued the manufacture of combustible cartridge cases with [[Peter Zokosky]] of Armtec Defense Products, which took people from the joint venture to Picatinny Arsenal in 1981.[^1] Investigating [[Michael Riconosciuto]]'s claims for the Justice Department between 1991 and 1993, Special Counsel [[Nicholas Bua]] found that any business relationship Riconosciuto had was with Nichols or the Cabazons rather than with Wackenhut, and that no witness could "even corroborate that Riconosciuto had access to computer equipment while on the Cabazon reservation."[^1]
Bua's report states that "A non-Indian man, John Philip Nichols, was the Tribal Administrator and managed the business affairs of the tribe."[^4] It states that when investigators spoke with Nichols at his home, he "was not comfortable (in light of his past criminal problems, apparently) having an extended interview without his lawyer present," and that he "was, however, willing to comment freely about Riconosciuto and the allegations he is making."[^5] The Los Angeles Magazine article of September 1983 states that Nichols "claims to be in the final stages of receiving a Defense Department clearance for building an arms-and-munitions plant," and describes this as "a claim verified by Bob Frye at Wackenhut."[^6]
### Arrest and Conviction
The Indio police arrested Nichols in January 1985 on charges of soliciting murder; an April 1985 clipping in his [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] file described him as in state prison for diagnostic evaluation to help decide his sentence "on two counts of murder solicitation," and a later 1985 clipping reported that he was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading no contest to charges that he arranged contract murders for two people, in a plot authorities said was unrelated to tribal business.[^5] A paper submitted to a February 8, 1989 Senate hearing by the California Attorney General's office states that he pleaded no contest in May 1985 to two charges of solicitation for murder, that the intended victims were undercover Indio police officers, and that he was sentenced to four years.[^3] The FBI recorded that he had been convicted and was serving his sentence.[^6] The same file preserves a 1985 report that the California State Board of Equalization was seeking about 2 million dollars in cigarette taxes from Nichols and his son, [[John Paul Nichols]], over a reservation smoke shop run until 1980.[^7]
The Indio police arrested Nichols in January 1985 on charges of soliciting murder; an April 1985 clipping in his [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] file described him as in state prison for diagnostic evaluation to help decide his sentence "on two counts of murder solicitation," and a later 1985 clipping reported that he was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading no contest to charges that he arranged contract murders for two people, in a plot authorities said was unrelated to tribal business.[^7] A paper submitted to a February 8, 1989 Senate hearing by the California Attorney General's office states that he pleaded no contest in May 1985 to two charges of solicitation for murder, that the intended victims were undercover Indio police officers, and that he was sentenced to four years.[^3] The FBI recorded that he had been convicted and was serving his sentence.[^8] The same file preserves a 1985 report that the California State Board of Equalization was seeking about 2 million dollars in cigarette taxes from Nichols and his son, [[John Paul Nichols]], over a reservation smoke shop run until 1980.[^9]
A Federal Bureau of Investigation memorandum from the Los Angeles office, dated November 5, 1986 and captioned "Crime on Indian Reservation - Gambling," states that "John Phillip Nichols, his wife and three sons, were hired as the management personnel by the Cabazon Band." It states that Nichols was arrested by the Indio Police Department in January 1985 "on a murder charge for which he was convicted," that his wife had since died, and that the bingo and gambling parlor continued to operate in Indio, managed by a person whose name is redacted in the released copy.[^8]
A July 19, 1983 airtel from the Los Angeles office to the Director, captioned "PAN AMERICAN MANAGEMENT INC." and cross-referenced to Tampa file 183A-1010, is a synopsis of Los Angeles Division activity on bingo and card parlors on Indian reservations. It includes the Cabazon card parlor and the account of a loan repayment set out on the John Paul Nichols page.[^10]
### The Alvarez Murders
On July 1, 1981, Tribal Vice Chairman [[Fred Alvarez]], 32, his friend [[Ralph Boger]], 42, and [[Patricia Castro]], 44, were found shot to death at 35040 Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage. The California Attorney General's office paper submitted to the Senate Special Committee on Investigations in February 1989 states that Alvarez and two others were found dead on July 2, 1981, shot in the head the evening before.[^3] A grand jury in the mid-1980s brought no charges. After new documents surfaced in 2007, the former Cabazon security chief [[Jimmy Hughes]] was arrested at Miami International Airport on September 26, 2009, on his way to Honduras, and charged with conspiring with three other men to commit the murders to keep Alvarez from exposing alleged illegal activities by Nichols. On July 1, 2010, after Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy said prosecutors had "lost confidence to proceed," Judge Dale R. Wells dismissed the charges. No one has been convicted of the murders.[^8]
On July 1, 1981, Tribal Vice Chairman [[Fred Alvarez]], 32, his friend [[Ralph Boger]], 42, and [[Patricia Castro]], 44, were found shot to death at 35040 Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage. The California Attorney General's office paper submitted to the Senate Special Committee on Investigations in February 1989 states that Alvarez and two others were found dead on July 2, 1981, shot in the head the evening before.[^3] A grand jury in the mid-1980s brought no charges. After new documents surfaced in 2007, the former Cabazon security chief [[Jimmy Hughes]] was arrested at Miami International Airport on September 26, 2009, on his way to Honduras, and charged with conspiring with three other men to commit the murders to keep Alvarez from exposing alleged illegal activities by Nichols. On July 1, 2010, after Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy said prosecutors had "lost confidence to proceed," Judge Dale R. Wells dismissed the charges. No one has been convicted of the murders.[^11]
[[Sam Cross]], the Indio police chief in 1981, told the FBI on October 6, 1992 that he first met Michael Riconosciuto at the home of Peter Zokosky in mid to late 1984, that Riconosciuto then talked about the murder of Fred Alvarez, and that Riconosciuto believed John Nichols Sr. was involved in it and that there would be additional murders in the future.[^12]
### Arms, the Mob and the Alibi
Michael Riconosciuto described Nichols as a former [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] agent. The writer Cheri Seymour wrote that the joint venture was formalized on April 1, 1981, as "[[Cabazon Arms]]," to manufacture arms and explosives for export under the reservation's sovereign status, with a [[Department of Defense]] secret facility clearance, and that it proposed 120mm combustible cartridge cases, 9mm machine pistols, laser-sighted assault weapons, sniper rifles, portable rockets and biological weapons; that Nichols introduced Riconosciuto to Frye, and that Riconosciuto did a railgun exercise for [[Dr. Harry Fair]] at Picatinny; and that the murder solicitation involved five intended victims and drugs and that Nichols served 18 months, his son acting as administrator. Seymour also wrote that he had done business in [[Saudi Arabia]], [[South Africa]], [[Panama]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Guatemala]], [[Mexico]], [[Chile]], [[Brazil]], the [[Netherlands]], [[England]], [[Canada]], [[France]], [[Spain]], [[Japan]], [[Korea]] and [[Taiwan]], had managed a Coca-Cola bottling plant in São Paulo in 1960 and led in the Chilean Pentecostal movement, had written himself a ten-year contract with the tribe in 1978 for half the profits of any business he brought in, and had proposed security for [[Crown Prince Fahd]]'s palace, and that Indio police surveillance in August 1981 observed him with [[Tommy Marson]], [[Vincent Caci Bologna]], [[Anthony Fratianno]] and [[Daniel Magano]]. Zokosky's timeline placed Nichols in Canada with him from June 22 to June 30, 1981, which [[John Belton]] said had been arranged as an alibi. Hughes said he had been told in Nichols's presence to take 5,000 dollars as partial payment for the Alvarez killings, and that the tribe's gambling enterprises were fronts for government-sanctioned covert military activity. Riconosciuto said Nichols's office was broken into to retrieve [[Phyllis Riconosciuto]]'s diary with passwords for [[Tyme Shares]], and that Nichols and Zokosky blamed him for the murder of [[Paul Morasca]].[^9]
Michael Riconosciuto described Nichols as a former [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] agent. The writer Cheri Seymour wrote that the joint venture was formalized on April 1, 1981, as "[[Cabazon Arms]]," to manufacture arms and explosives for export under the reservation's sovereign status, with a [[Department of Defense]] secret facility clearance, and that it proposed 120mm combustible cartridge cases, 9mm machine pistols, laser-sighted assault weapons, sniper rifles, portable rockets and biological weapons; that Nichols introduced Riconosciuto to Frye, and that Riconosciuto did a railgun exercise for [[Dr. Harry Fair]] at Picatinny; and that the murder solicitation involved five intended victims and drugs and that Nichols served 18 months, his son acting as administrator. Seymour also wrote that he had done business in [[Saudi Arabia]], [[South Africa]], [[Panama]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Guatemala]], [[Mexico]], [[Chile]], [[Brazil]], the [[Netherlands]], [[England]], [[Canada]], [[France]], [[Spain]], [[Japan]], [[Korea]] and [[Taiwan]], had managed a Coca-Cola bottling plant in São Paulo in 1960 and led in the Chilean Pentecostal movement, had written himself a ten-year contract with the tribe in 1978 for half the profits of any business he brought in, and had proposed security for [[Crown Prince Fahd]]'s palace, and that Indio police surveillance in August 1981 observed him with [[Tommy Marson]], [[Vincent Caci Bologna]], [[Anthony Fratianno]] and [[Daniel Magano]]. Zokosky's timeline placed Nichols in Canada with him from June 22 to June 30, 1981, which [[John Belton]] said had been arranged as an alibi. Hughes said he had been told in Nichols's presence to take 5,000 dollars as partial payment for the Alvarez killings, and that the tribe's gambling enterprises were fronts for government-sanctioned covert military activity. Riconosciuto said Nichols's office was broken into to retrieve [[Phyllis Riconosciuto]]'s diary with passwords for [[Tyme Shares]], and that Nichols and Zokosky blamed him for the murder of [[Paul Morasca]].[^13]
### Footnotes
[^1]: U.S. Department of Justice. *Report of Special Counsel Nicholas J. Bua to the Attorney General of the United States Regarding the Allegations of INSLAW, Inc.,* March 1993, pp. 54-64.
[^2]: *Los Angeles Magazine*, September 1983, pp. 126 ff. Reprinted in FBI file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^2]: Jan Golab, "Close-Up," *Los Angeles*, September 1983, pp. 116 to 128 (the Durocher and Zangari passage runs from immediately before the page 126 heading to page 128). Reprinted in Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles, file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^3]: *Federal Government's Relationship with American Indians*, Hearings before the Special Committee on Investigations of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, S. Hrg. 101-126, Part 2 (February 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1989), Robert Morehouse, "High Stakes Bingo on Indian Reservations in California," pp. 417 to 419. https://archive.org/details/micro_IA41152832_0182
[^4]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), January 24, 1988, p. B-1, "Bingo profits rising as legal fight brews." Reprinted in FBI file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^5]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), April 17, 1985 ("Court ruling may ...") and 1985 article "Cabazon leader scoffs at report." Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^6]: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles, memorandum, "Crime on Indian Reservation - Gambling," November 5, 1986, reprinted in FBI file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^7]: Federal Bureau of Investigation. File on John Philip Nichols, FOIPA Request No. 1344360-000, files 183A-LA-1746 and 198D-LA-96, released August 3, 2016. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^8]: "Only On 3: 'Octopus Murder' Suspect Caught On Hidden Camera." KESQ, September 29, 2009, https://kesq.com/news/2009/09/29/only-on-3-octopus-murder-suspect-caught-on-hidden-camera/ ; "Jimmy Hughes Speaks To KESQ After Charges Dropped." KESQ, July 2, 2010. https://kesq.com/news/2010/07/02/jimmy-hughes-speaks-to-kesq-after-charges-dropped/
[^9]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro's Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal.* TrineDay, 2010. The CIA claim is not supported by his FBI file. The venture's name and date are corrected by the special counsel's report, and the book dates the murders to June 29, 1981.
[^4]: United States Department of Justice, *Report of Special Counsel Nicholas J. Bua to the Attorney General of the United States Regarding the Allegations of INSLAW, Inc.* (March 1993), section "(i) The Wackenhut-Cabazon Joint Venture," p. 55. https://archive.org/details/doj-oip-inslaw-1993
[^5]: Same report, pp. 54 to 55. https://archive.org/details/doj-oip-inslaw-1993
[^6]: Jan Golab, "Close-Up," *Los Angeles*, September 1983, pp. 116 to 128 (the passage falls immediately before the page 126 heading). Reprinted in Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles, file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^7]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), April 17, 1985 ("Court ruling may ...") and 1985 article "Cabazon leader scoffs at report." Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^8]: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles, memorandum, "Crime on Indian Reservation - Gambling," November 5, 1986, reprinted in FBI file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^9]: Federal Bureau of Investigation. File on John Philip Nichols, FOIPA Request No. 1344360-000, files 183A-LA-1746 and 198D-LA-96, released August 3, 2016. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^10]: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles, airtel to the Director, July 19, 1983, "Pan American Management Inc.," file 183-1746 (cross-reference Tampa 183A-1010). Reprinted in file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^11]: "Only On 3: 'Octopus Murder' Suspect Caught On Hidden Camera." KESQ, September 29, 2009, https://kesq.com/news/2009/09/29/only-on-3-octopus-murder-suspect-caught-on-hidden-camera/ ; "Jimmy Hughes Speaks To KESQ After Charges Dropped." KESQ, July 2, 2010. https://kesq.com/news/2010/07/02/jimmy-hughes-speaks-to-kesq-after-charges-dropped/
[^12]: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles, FD-302 of the interview of Sam Cross, file 74-86438, interview October 6, 1992 (transcribed December 10, 1992). https://archive.org/details/INSLAW-CabazonWackenhunt
[^13]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro's Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal.* TrineDay, 2010. The CIA claim is not supported by his FBI file. The venture's name and date are corrected by the special counsel's report, and the book dates the murders to June 29, 1981.

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@ -1,28 +1,46 @@
---
aliases:
- John Paul Nichols
category: "Business & Finance"
tags:
- Person
- PROMIS
- Lawyer
summary: "John Paul Nichols was the 'Project Manager' for the Cabazon/Wackenhut Corporation Joint Venture, also known as Cabazon Arms."
updated: 2026-10-09
relations:
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Dr. John Philip Nichols]]"
role: "son"
fn: 1
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Mark Nichols]]"
role: "brother"
fn: 1
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Cabazon Indian Casino]]"
role: "Project Manager; signed the Chapter 11 petition"
start: 1981-12-10
fn: 3
---
[[John Paul Nichols]] was the son of [[Dr. John Philip Nichols]]. He took over his father's position as acting administrator of the [[Cabazon Indian Reservation|Cabazon tribe]] when Dr. John Philip Nichols was incarcerated. In 1989, [[Mark Nichols]] inherited the position of administrator from John Paul Nichols.[^1]
John Paul Nichols was the "Project Manager" for the Cabazon/[[Wackenhut Corporation]] Joint Venture, also known as [[Cabazon Arms]]. On April 4, 1983, he wrote a letter to the Army Discharge Review Board asking for [[Jimmy Hughes]]' military record, as Hughes required security clearances to work in the Joint Venture. He stated that Hughes had been instrumental in developing their reservation security force and providing training, and was becoming involved in matters requiring security clearances for government contracts.[^1]
The Chapter 11 petition filed for the Cabazon Indian Casino on December 10, 1981 was signed by John Paul Nichols as "Project Manager." A January 1988 article gives the casino's debts as $567,577 owed to 45 creditors, against assets of $123,859.[^2]
The Chapter 11 petition filed for the Cabazon Indian Casino on December 10, 1981 was signed by John Paul Nichols as "Project Manager." The [[Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit]] quoted the petition's description of the casino as "a co-partnership consisting of" a list of members, which named "John Paul Nichols, Project Manager/Employee" among them. The panel wrote: "The record reflects that Mr. Nichols is a non-Indian and, therefore, ostensibly not a member of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians."[^2] A March 20, 1988 article gives the casino's debts as $567,577 owed to 45 creditors, against assets of $123,859, and quotes Nichols, identified as the Cabazon tribal administrator: "Nichols said incompetent management caused the downfall of the poker business and he has admitted a mistake in his hiring of Rocco Zangari as the first manager."[^3]
John Paul Nichols was also involved in the Cabazon Indian Reservation and [[Indio Bingo Palace]]. He made a $30,000 withdrawal from the Bingo Palace's account by check payable to cash. He also wrote a letter to [[Wayne Reeder]] and his attorney, reminding Reeder of an agreement to "get rid" of Jimmy Hughes so Hughes couldn't expose Dr. John Philip Nichols' illegal activities.[^1]
The [[Miami Herald]] reported in May 1983 that [[Tommy Marson]]'s wife had loaned $50,000 to John Paul Nichols in November 1980 to help finance the casino.[^3] In 1985 John Paul Nichols told the Riverside newspaper that Marson had no dealings with the tribe, and that the $50,000 was a personal loan to him from Marson's wife.[^4] [[Cheri Seymour]] wrote that Marson, a known [[Gambino Crime Family]] associate, lent Dr. John Philip Nichols $50,000 to start the Cabazon Casino, according to John Paul Nichols.[^1] The Press-Enterprise reported on February 9, 1989 that, according to the California Attorney General's office, John Paul Nichols had admitted receiving a $50,000 loan from Marson.[^5]
The [[Miami Herald]] reported in May 1983 that [[Tommy Marson]]'s wife had loaned $50,000 to John Paul Nichols in November 1980 to help finance the casino.[^4] A July 19, 1983 airtel from the Los Angeles office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the Director, captioned "PAN AMERICAN MANAGEMENT INC.," states that a Palm Springs resident described as a La Cosa Nostra operative put up $90,000 to start the Cabazon card parlor, and that when asked about the $90,000 he replied that it was $70,000 and a loan from his wife. It states that, allegedly, "a Los Angeles LCN member approached Cabazon Indian manager JOHN PAUL NICHOLS (originally from Florida) to demand the repayment of the loan," and adds: "Since then, the loan has supposedly been paid off."[^5] The names of the lender and of the person to whom the loan was to be repaid are redacted in the released copy. In 1985 John Paul Nichols told the Riverside newspaper that Marson had no dealings with the tribe, and that the $50,000 was a personal loan to him from Marson's wife.[^6] [[Cheri Seymour]] wrote that Marson, a known [[Gambino Crime Family]] associate, lent Dr. John Philip Nichols $50,000 to start the Cabazon Casino, according to John Paul Nichols.[^1] The Press-Enterprise reported on February 9, 1989 that, according to the California Attorney General's office, John Paul Nichols had admitted receiving a $50,000 loan from Marson.[^7]
In 1985 John Paul Nichols said that when tribal leaders learned of alleged organized crime ties of the former cardroom manager [[Rocco Zangari]], "he was fired," and that the tribe banned the organized crime figures from the reservation.[^4]
In 1985 John Paul Nichols said that when tribal leaders learned of alleged organized crime ties of the former cardroom manager [[Rocco Zangari]], "he was fired," and that the tribe banned the organized crime figures from the reservation.[^6]
---
### Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.
[^2]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), January 24, 1988, p. B-1, "Bingo profits rising as legal fight brews." Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols; and *Zangari v. Cabazon Indian Casino (In re Cabazon Indian Casino)*, 35 B.R. 124 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. December 29, 1983), https://static.case.law/br/35/cases/0124-01.json
[^3]: *The Miami Herald*, May 29, 1983 (series on Indian bingo and Wackenhut Corporation). Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^4]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), 1985, "Cabazon leader scoffs at report." Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^5]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), February 9, 1989, p. A-1, "Cabazon bingo casino listed as Mafia-tied." Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^2]: *Zangari v. Cabazon Indian Casino (In re Cabazon Indian Casino)*, 35 B.R. 124 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. December 29, 1983), BAP No. CC-82-1578-GVAb, Part II. https://static.case.law/br/35/cases/0124-01.json
[^3]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), March 20, 1988, p. B-1 with jump page, "Manager proposes plush Indian casino, club," by Mike Kataoka. Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols; and *Zangari v. Cabazon Indian Casino (In re Cabazon Indian Casino)*, 35 B.R. 124 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. December 29, 1983), https://static.case.law/br/35/cases/0124-01.json
[^4]: *The Miami Herald*, May 29, 1983 (series on Indian bingo and Wackenhut Corporation). Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^5]: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles, airtel to the Director, July 19, 1983, "Pan American Management Inc.," file 183-1746 (cross-reference Tampa 183A-1010). Reprinted in file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^6]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), 1985, "Cabazon leader scoffs at report." Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^7]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), February 9, 1989, p. A-1, "Cabazon bingo casino listed as Mafia-tied." Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1, https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols

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@ -1,13 +1,44 @@
---
category: "Other"
aliases:
- Mark Nichols
category: "Business & Finance"
tags:
- Person
- PROMIS
- Cabazon
- IndianGaming
summary: "Administrator of the Cabazon Tribal Council who inherited the position from his brother John Paul Nichols in 1989."
updated: 2026-10-09
relations:
- type: relative_of
with: "[[John Paul Nichols]]"
role: "brother"
fn: 1
- type: relative_of
with: "[[Dr. John Philip Nichols]]"
role: "son"
fn: 2
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Cabazon Indian Casino]]"
role: "bingo parlor manager"
start: 1984
fn: 3
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Cabazon Indian Reservation|Cabazon Band of Mission Indians]]"
role: "chief executive officer"
start: 1989
fn: 4
---
[[Mark Nichols]] inherited the position of administrator of the [[Cabazon Indian Reservation|Cabazon tribe]] from his brother, [[John Paul Nichols]], in 1989.[^1]
---
[[Los Angeles Magazine]] reported in September 1983 that Mark Nichols was present while his father, [[Dr. John Philip Nichols]], related how [[Rocco Zangari]] came to the [[Cabazon Indian Casino]]; the article quotes him on the casino ("This place is such a mom-and-pop organization it's ridiculous") and on [[Fred Alvarez]] ("I would describe him as a sociopath").[^2] *Gaming & Wagering Business* of October 1984 identifies him as the Cabazons' bingo parlor manager and quotes him that the Cabazons "have not experienced a whole lot of direct heat out of Vegas."[^3]
The Press-Enterprise of July 29, 1989 names him chief executive officer for the Cabazons; of [[Don Speer]], charged that month in Los Angeles County, he said: "We are of a mind to see his innocence, however." The same article reports that [[Southwest Gaming Inc.]] lifted the tribe out of bankruptcy court in March 1988 with a loan to pay off creditors.[^4] On September 20, 1989 the paper quoted him on the dismissal of the charges: "We're glad (Speer) is not going to jail or be sentenced."[^5]
### Footnotes
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.
[^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.
[^2]: Jan Golab, "Close-Up," *Los Angeles*, September 1983, pp. 116 to 128. Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^3]: *Gaming & Wagering Business*, October 1984. Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^4]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), July 29, 1989, p. B-1, "Poker club firm chief accused of embezzling." Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols
[^5]: *The Press-Enterprise* (Riverside, California), September 20, 1989, p. B-1, "Felony charges being dropped in poker club case." Reprinted in FBI Los Angeles file 183A-LA-1746, Section 1. https://archive.org/details/JohnPhilipNichols

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@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ summary: "Martin Nowak is a Harvard mathematical biologist who directed the Prog
born: 1965-04-07
location: "Cambridge, Massachusetts"
created: 2026-06-20
updated: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-10-09
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Harvard University]]"
@ -112,9 +112,9 @@ Epstein's will, dated August 8, 2019, two days before his death, left Nowak 5 mi
[^4]: Nowak, Martin A. "Five Rules for the Evolution of Cooperation," *Science* 314, no. 5805 (2006): 1560-1563, on kin selection, direct and indirect reciprocity, network reciprocity, and group selection. https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1133755
[^5]: Nowak, Martin A., Corina E. Tarnita, and Edward O. Wilson. "The Evolution of Eusociality," *Nature* 466 (2010): 1057-1062, the paper that drew a rebuttal signed by more than 130 biologists.
[^6]: "Why did Jeffrey Epstein cultivate famous scientists?," *Scientific American,* 2019, on the establishment of PED under Summers and Epstein's account to Vanity Fair. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-did-jeffrey-epstein-cultivate-famous-scientists/
[^7]: "Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University," Harvard University Office of the General Counsel, May 2020, on the donation totals, the establishment of PED, and the gift policy. https://ogc.harvard.edu/file_url/208
[^7]: "Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University," Harvard University Office of the General Counsel, May 2020, on the donation totals, the establishment of PED, and the gift policy. https://ogc.harvard.edu/files/ogc/files/report_concerning_jeffrey_e._epsteins_connections_to_harvard_university.pdf
[^8]: "Martin Nowak Sanctioned for Jeffrey Epstein Involvement," *Harvard Magazine,* March 2021, on the policy violations, the website descriptions, and the terms of the sanctions. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2021/03/martin-nowak-sanctioned-for-jeffrey-epstein-involvement
[^9]: Lopez, Diane E., Ara B. Gershengorn, and Martin F. Murphy. *Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University.* Harvard OGC and Foley Hoag LLP, May 2020, pp. 5, 10-17, 26-27, on Nowak's prior support at the Institute for Advanced Study, his understanding of Faust's decision, the 2010 and 2014 emails, the Black and Falconwood gifts, his Templeton advisory role, and the false-information finding. https://ogc.harvard.edu/file_url/208 ; mirror: https://archive.org/download/epstein-docs_20240108/1.%20Harvard%20Epstein%20Report.pdf
[^9]: Lopez, Diane E., Ara B. Gershengorn, and Martin F. Murphy. *Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University.* Harvard OGC and Foley Hoag LLP, May 2020, pp. 5, 10-17, 26-27, on Nowak's prior support at the Institute for Advanced Study, his understanding of Faust's decision, the 2010 and 2014 emails, the Black and Falconwood gifts, his Templeton advisory role, and the false-information finding. https://ogc.harvard.edu/files/ogc/files/report_concerning_jeffrey_e._epsteins_connections_to_harvard_university.pdf ; mirror: https://archive.org/download/epstein-docs_20240108/1.%20Harvard%20Epstein%20Report.pdf
[^10]: "Harvard Places Math Professor Martin Nowak on Paid Administrative Leave Over Epstein Ties," *The Harvard Crimson,* February 25, 2026, on the 2023 restoration and the renewed leave. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/2/25/nowak-leave-epstein/
[^11]: "Martin Nowak Placed on Leave a Second Time," *Harvard Magazine,* February 2026, on the Nature reporting, the page-proof advice on the eusociality paper, the 2014 island travel, and the second leave announced February 27, 2026. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/university-news/martin-nowak-harvard-administrative-leave-epstein
[^12]: "Professor Corina Tarnita on the Epstein Files: 'I Wish I Had Never Known Him'," *Princeton Alumni Weekly,* 2026, on the March 10, 2014 "spy"/"torture" email exchange, Nowak's Civilization II explanation, and Tarnita's account of the scholarships. https://paw.princeton.edu/article/professor-corina-tarnita-epstein-files-i-wish-i-had-never-known-him

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@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ summary: "Steven Pinker is a Harvard psychologist and linguist whose 2007 readin
born: 1954
location: "Cambridge, Massachusetts"
created: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-09-25
updated: 2026-10-09
relations:
- type: employed_by
with: "[[Harvard University]]"
@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Pinker taught at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] before moving to
Pinker's first contact with Epstein came through Brockman. "In 02, my lit agent invited me to join a group of east-coast TED speakers Epstein flew to CA," Pinker wrote in 2019. The group on the 2002 flight to the [[TED Conference]] included [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Daniel Dennett]] and the Brockmans.[^5][^6]
Epstein held an appointment as a Visiting Fellow in Harvard's Psychology Department, Pinker's department, for 2005 and 2006, on the recommendation of its chair, [[Stephen Kosslyn]], whose research Epstein had funded with 200,000 dollars; Kosslyn acknowledged that Epstein lacked the qualifications for the research he proposed. Epstein also served on Harvard's Mind, Brain, and Behavior advisory committee, and his foundation's press releases billed him as a "Harvard philanthropist."[^2][^7]
Epstein held an appointment as a Visiting Fellow in Harvard's Psychology Department, Pinker's department, for the 2005-2006 academic year, with a second year approved on April 21, 2006, on the recommendation of its chair, [[Stephen Kosslyn]], whose research Epstein had funded with 200,000 dollars; Kosslyn acknowledged that Epstein lacked the qualifications for the research he proposed. Epstein also served on Harvard's Mind, Brain, and Behavior advisory committee, and his foundation's press releases billed him as a "Harvard philanthropist."[^2][^7]
### The 2007 Defense Letter
@ -66,6 +66,6 @@ After the November 2025 release of Epstein's emails, Pinker restated his positio
[^4]: Aldhous, Peter. "How Jeffrey Epstein Bankrolled The Exclusive Edge Foundation And Reaped The Benefits," *BuzzFeed News,* 2019, on Epstein-linked foundations supplying 638,000 dollars of the roughly 857,000 dollars Edge received from 2001 to 2017 and on Brockman's client roster. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-john-brockman-edge-foundation
[^5]: "Release of emails renews interest in Harvard professor Steven Pinker's link to Jeffrey Epstein," *The Boston Globe,* November 19, 2025, on the December 31, 2010 Brockman email, the 2002 TED flight passengers, and Pinker's 2025 statements. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/19/metro/steven-pinker-epstein-ties/
[^6]: Pinker, Steven (@sapinker), reply to @HeerJeet, X (Twitter), July 11, 2019, as reproduced in Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein Called Himself A 'Science Philanthropist' And Donated Millions To These Researchers," *BuzzFeed News,* July 11, 2019. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-science-donations
[^7]: Lopez, Diane E., Ara B. Gershengorn, and Martin F. Murphy. *Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University.* Harvard University Office of the General Counsel and Foley Hoag LLP, May 2020, pp. 3-8, on Epstein's Visiting Fellow appointment in the Psychology Department and Kosslyn's recommendation. https://ogc.harvard.edu/file_url/208
[^7]: Lopez, Diane E., Ara B. Gershengorn, and Martin F. Murphy. *Report Concerning Jeffrey E. Epstein's Connections to Harvard University.* Harvard University Office of the General Counsel and Foley Hoag LLP, May 2020, pp. 3, 5 and 6 to 8, on Epstein's Visiting Fellow appointment in the Psychology Department and Kosslyn's recommendation. https://ogc.harvard.edu/files/ogc/files/report_concerning_jeffrey_e._epsteins_connections_to_harvard_university.pdf
[^8]: Opinion and Order, *Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 v. United States*, No. 9:08-cv-80736-KAM (S.D. Fla. Feb. 21, 2019), ECF No. 435 (Marra, J.), reported at 359 F. Supp. 3d 1201, on the prosecution memorandum, the draft indictment and the September 24, 2007 agreement; U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Professional Responsibility, *Investigation into the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida's Resolution of Its 2006-2008 Federal Criminal Investigation of Jeffrey Epstein,* Executive Summary, November 2020, pp. i-xi. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4502088/doe-v-united-states/ ; https://www.justice.gov/opr/page/file/1336471/dl
[^9]: Aldhous, Peter. "Jeffrey Epstein's Links To Scientists Are Even More Extensive Than We Thought," *BuzzFeed News,* August 27, 2019, on the 2014 Origins Project gala photograph and the Epstein and Black funding of the project. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/jeffrey-epstein-science-donations-apologies-statements